PLAYER DEVELOPMENT UPDATE: Pineda Tallies Two Goals, Super-20s Crowned North American Champions

VICTOR PINEDA SCORES TWO GOALS AS UNITED STATES U-20 MEN’S NATIONAL TEAM PLACES FOURTH IN 2012 MILK CUP

The Chicago Fire’s first homegrown player Victor Pineda scored two goals for the U.S. U-20 Men’s National Team in the 2012 Milk Cup in Northern Ireland.

Pineda scored the game-winner in the 73rd minute for the United States as they defeated Turkey 1-0 on Monday, July 23 to advance to the third place game.

On Thursday the United States took on Chile in the third place match. Pineda converted a penalty kick in the 83rd minute but the U.S. fell 4-3 to finish fourth in the tournament.

This was Pineda’s second consecutive year competing in the prestigious tournament for the United States. The Fire Homegrown midfielder was part of the U.S. U-18 MNT squad that took third place in the 2011 edition of the tournament.

CHICAGO FIRE SUPER-20 TEAM CROWNED NORTH AMERICAN CHAMPIONS

The Chicago Fire Super-20 squad won 3-1 against the Columbus Crew Juniors Sunday afternoon at IMG Soccer Academy in Bradenton, Fla. to win the Super-20 North American Finals.

Luis Medina, Felipe Cortez and Mark Prince all scored for the Fire, ending the Crew’s hopes of a third consecutive championship.

The Fire had a perfect 5-0-0 record on the weekend. The Men in Red outscored opponents 17-1 and recorded four shutouts along the way.

Felipe Cortez was named as the 2012 North American Finals Most Valuable Player for leading his side to the championship. Cortez scored a goal and recorded three assists in five games for the Fire but it was his all-around play that lead to the honor.

Jacob Brindle, also named to the 2012 North American Finals All-Tournament Team, was the tournament’s leading scorer with five goals and was awarded the Golden Boot Award.

Joining his teammates on the All-Tournament Team was defender Peter Beasley. The Fire had the most representatives on the All-Tournament Team with three players.

CHICAGO FIRE U-16s TAKE FOURTH IN U.S.S.D.A. FINALS

The Chicago Fire U-16 team fell 6-5 in penalty kicks to Crew Soccer Academy Wolves Monday, July 23 to take place fourth in the U.S. Soccer Developmental Academy Finals.

The Fire and Crew looked to be headed into halftime tied 0-0 but seconds before the whistle Christian Henock-Berhanu was able to break free and put the Fire up 1-0. The Fire held on during the second half and looked to be headed towards a victory but two minutes before the final whistle the Crew’s Kosti Moni headed in the equalizer.

CHICAGO FIRE U-14, U-15 AND U-18 TEAMS COMPETE IN U.S. CLUB SOCCER NATIONAL CUP XI FINALS

Three of the Chicago Fire Academy teams will be competing in the U.S. Club Soccer National Cup XI Finals at the Waukegan Sports Complex in Waukegan, Ill. July 27-30.

The U-14s have been placed in Flight C and will face HBC Fusion (NY) on Friday, July 27 at 3:00 p.m. CT, the South Carolina United Battery on Saturday, July 28 at 3:00 p.m. CT and FC Dallas on Sunday, July 29 at 12:00 p.m. CT to round out group play.

The U-15s have been placed in Flight A and will take on VSI West Florida Flames on Friday, July 27 at 5:00 p.m. CT, the MPS Bulldogs (MA) on Saturday, July 28 at 1:15 p.m. CT and the New York Cosmos on Sunday, July 29 at 8:30 a.m. CT.

The U-18s were drawn into Flight A and take on Parsippany SC (NJ) on Friday, July 27 at 3:00 p.m. CT, the MPS Bulldogs (MA) on Saturday, July 28 at 5:00 p.m. CT and the Ft. Wayne Fever (IN) on Saturday, July 29 at 3:00 p.m. CT.